Gonzaga Basketball: 3 keys to key road matchup at Santa Clara Broncos

The non-conference was difficult for Gonzaga Basketball, failing to land a single quality victory. The good news is that the WCC isn't as tough, allowing them to rack up some wins.

The team had no issue in the first week, taking out both Pepperdine and San Diego at home. The first game was against the Waves, up by 18 points at the halftime break, winning 86-60. Five players were in double figures, led by 20 points from Graham Ike and 10 points and seven assists from Ryan Nembhard.

In the last game, the Bulldogs scored 55 points in the first 20 minutes en route to a 101-74 blowout win over the Toreros. They shot 57% as a team and had four players with at least 17 points in the win, led by 22 points and seven rebounds from Ben Gregg off the bench.

The next opponent for Gonzaga is tougher, as they go on the road to take on Santa Clara. Despite losing its entire starting lineup from last season, the Broncos enter this game with an 11-6 (2-0) record, including wins over LMU and Pepperdine on the road to open WCC play. With wins over Oregon, Stanford, and Washington State on its resume, the Broncos have a chance to be an at-large contender, especially if they can win on Thursday.

Along with games against San Francisco and Saint Mary's, this is going to be one of the toughest games left in the season for Gonzaga. Here's a look at the keys to the Bulldogs winning.